Milford Sound tours from Te Anau start two hours from the water instead of five. You get a shorter day, a later start and more time for walks.
Pickup from any central Te Anau stay, a 2-hour small-boat cruise, then about three and a half hours of guided walks. No pickups in Queenstown. The day is not suitable for children under five.
From $157 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
The best-selling big coach also collects in Te Anau, which turns its twelve-hour day from Queenstown into a shorter one. Photo stops, a scenic cruise and lunch are included.
From $151 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Seven hours for 15 at most, from your hotel or 94 Te Anau Terrace: stops in the valleys on the way in, a boutique cruise and lunch. There is no restroom on board.
From $174 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Door-to-door from your Te Anau hotel, with morning tea and baking, a packed picnic and a driver-guide. The cruise lasts 1 hour 45 minutes, followed by free time at the water.
From $180 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Check in at 10am on Lakefront Drive for a spacious coach, a nature cruise of up to 2 hours and a freshly made lunch on board. Bring your own child restraints. Up to 49 guests.
From $192 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Rated 4.9 on 919 reviews: a 2-hour small-boat cruise and about three and a half hours of guided walks, for 15 at most.
See this tourTe Anau is the last town before the fiord, about two hours' drive from the water. DOC puts the round trip at 240 km, against 600 km from Queenstown. A tour from Te Anau takes that shorter road, and gives you a day of 7 to 8.5 hours rather than 11 to 13.
You are collected from your hotel or a stop in town, driven up the Milford Road with stops in the valleys, and put on a cruise at the fiord. Some days add walks, free time or morning tea on the way. All include lunch.
Fares run $157 to $192 a person. That is close to a Queenstown coach, for about about four fewer hours on the road.
About two hours each way instead of four or five. You arrive fresher, and you have the energy to walk as well as cruise.
One coach checks in at 10am on Lakefront Drive. From Queenstown, you would have left three hours earlier.
The walking day adds about three and a half hours of guided stops and short walks. Mary said their guide knew the plants and birds on every walk, and kept their two children engaged.
When Simarpreet's cruise was cancelled for weather, the team rebooked a later sailing and the guide kept the day going until then. A shorter drive leaves more slack for that.
These are the two usual bases for a day at the fiord. The water and the boats are the same.
| From Te Anau | From Queenstown | |
|---|---|---|
| Road, each way | About 2 hours | About 4 to 5 hours |
| Whole day | 7 to 8.5 hours | 11 to 13 hours |
| Earliest start | Morning pickup; one checks in at 10am | 6:30 to 7:20am |
| Walks | Guided walks on one day | Short stops only |
| Lunch | On every one | On most |
| Fare, per person | $157 to $192 | $151 to $250 |
If you can add a night in Te Anau, this is the easier day. If you cannot, compare Milford Sound tours from Queenstown.
Check in at 10am for a spacious coach, a nature cruise of up to 2 hours with a freshly made lunch, and free tea and coffee on board.
Check availabilityOur guide to the best time to visit covers which months suit the walks and when the road can close.
Our ranking of the best tours names the strongest Te Anau day in each format.
Would a day from Queenstown suit you better? Every tour is compared on Milford Sound Tours.